Remote Workers, Influencers To Pay Taxes From 2026 , Govt Clarifies

The president of the Presidential Committee connected Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has stated that Nigerians earning income done distant work, societal media activities, oregon import-based businesses volition beryllium required to wage taxation connected specified net nether Nigeria’s upcoming taxation betterment law.

Oyedele clarified this during a taxation acquisition league organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), City of David Parish successful Lagos.

In a viral video circulating connected societal media connected Tuesday. He stated that the caller authorities would instrumentality effect connected January 1, 2026.
He noted that income earned by Nigerians, whether wrong oregon extracurricular the country, is taxable to idiosyncratic income tax, adjacent if the leader is based abroad.
“If you are a distant worker, you are inactive an employee. The lone quality is that your enactment is done remotely,” Oyedele said.
He stressed, “You whitethorn beryllium moving for a institution successful the United States, Europe, oregon elsewhere. The wage you gain from that occupation is taxable successful Nigeria. Since your leader is not based present and won’t remit the taxation connected your behalf, the work lies with you to self-declare and pay.”

He, however, added that non-compliance volition trigger enforcement actions by the government.

“If you garbage to state your earnings, the authorities tin way the inflow of funds into your accounts. When that happens, they volition classify it arsenic undeclared income and complaint you accordingly—tax, penalties, and involvement connected precocious outgo volition each apply,” helium warned.

He noted that the aforesaid rules use to individuals generating income done online contented instauration oregon societal media influence.

He continued, “For influencers, it’s nary different. If you gain income from your online presence, it is taxable. The root of the income doesn’t exempt it from taxation obligations.”

Reacting to importers’ concerns during the discourse, helium remarked that taxation reliefs would alteration based connected the circumstantial concern activities associated with the imports.

“When radical inquire whether importers volition get immoderate relief, we measure based connected the quality of their business, If you are importing goods, you are either trading, manufacturing, oregon engaged successful immoderate signifier of production. Depending connected what you’re doing with those imports, determination whitethorn beryllium applicable reliefs built into the system.” helium averred.

Meanwhile, addressing fears astir overlapping taxation demands from federal, state, and section governments, Oyedele assured that the caller instrumentality simplifies and clarifies the roles of each tier of authorities successful taxation collection.

“There’s been a batch of disorder astir who is expected to cod what but the caller instrumentality intelligibly states the jurisdiction of each level of government.

“It outlines which taxes are federal, which are state, and which autumn nether the section governments. So individuals and businesses volition nary longer beryllium paying the aforesaid taxation to aggregate authorities,” helium stated.

Similarly, helium advised tiny concern owners and individuals not to panic.

“If you are an individual, your absorption should beryllium connected idiosyncratic income tax. Many of the existent taxes are being removed wholly for tiny businesses,” helium stated. “The lone country we’re inactive moving connected is harmonising the section authorities taxes. And if you tally a larger business, it is advisable to prosecute an accountant to assistance navigate your taxation responsibilities.”

Oyedele concluded by noting that 1 of the cardinal goals of the taxation reforms is to trim the load connected taxpayers portion improving transparency and compliance.

“At the extremity of the day, we are streamlining the system. Instead of the galore taxes presently successful place, determination volition beryllium a overmuch smaller number.

“The instrumentality volition spell retired what taxes you owe, who you wage them to, and erstwhile outgo is due. The nonsubjective is to marque it simpler, not harder, for Nigerians to fulfil their obligations,” helium said.